City appoints volunteer leader for municipal judge

The Tucumcari City Commission on Thursday appointed Noreen Hendrickson, a longtime community volunteer leader, to be the city’s municipal judge.

Hendrickson was appointed on a 4-1 vote, with District 1 Commissioner Ralph Moya voting against the appointment.

Hendrickson and Larry Brown, who has been serving as acting municipal judge, were interviewed before Thursday’s meeting.

Moya said “both candidates were very, very impressive” in the interviews but in Brown “we have a very good judge.”

Hendrickson on Friday said “I’m thrilled and honored” with the appointment.

“I’m ready to begin the learning process and hit the ground running,” she said.

Brown said Friday “I’m not going to lose a lot of sleep” over Hendrickson’s appointment and added: “I hope she does a good job.”

Brown has been serving as interim judge since March, a month after Joe Dominguez was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and had his judgeship suspended by the New Mexico Supreme Court.

The commission also appointed Al Patel, owner of the Desert Inn motel in Tucumcari, to the Lodgers Tax board. Patel will replace David Brenner, co-owner of the Roadrunner Lodge, who resigned from the board in December, as the board’s lodging representative.

The board also appointed Isidro Marquez to the Senior Center Advisory Board after receiving an enthusiastic endorsement from Mary Ann Dominguez, the senior center’s site manager.

In his comments, Moya said problems with methamphetamine in the city are serious.

“It is sold openly and is freely available,” he said, adding recent robbery and burglary crimes are connected to methamphetamine use.

In addition, he said, heroin use is rising in the city, especially among younger adults.

Deputy Police Chief Pete Rivera said meth use is “epidemic” in rural communities all over the country.

“We are doing everything in our power” to deal with drug problems, he said.

In public comments, Boots McCoy, who owns property next to the former Yoacum’s Texaco along Historic Route 66 near Mountain Road, asked about a notice he had received from the New Mexico Environment Department about a pending permit to discharge possible pollutants on the Yoacum site.

McCoy showed the notice he received about the pending permit as a neighboring landowner.

McCoy said he depends on water for crops and cattle he raises on nearby property.

Shannon Lumpkin, who accompanied McCoy, said she had concerns about possible effects on city water supplies.

City manager Britt Lusk said he would meet with McCoy and Lumpkin to discuss the permit.